Pneumatic Tire Definition
"Pneumatic" is a Greek term for "spirit". "Pneuma" means something that is filled with air. Most tires you use or see nowadays are more than likely pneumatic tires. The fact is, nearly all private vehicles and modern commercial transportation can not function without utilizing pneumatic tires.
Definition
Pneumatic tires as defined by Webster's online dictionary are described as tires which are constructed from durable rubber, that hold compressed air. Any type of tire that requires air pressure to hold its form is considered to be a pneumatic tire.
History
The Irish surgeon John Boyd Dunlop has been credited to inventing the pneumatic tire. He developed the first practical pneumatic bicycle tire in the year 1888. During the year 1895, the Michelin brothers Edouard and Andre, the Michelin brothers were the first ones to use pneumatic tires on a car during a race.
Identification
Pneumatic tires are made from numerous bands of corded or plys fabric. Plys are often coated with rubber that allows them to hold air pressure. Bias ply tires have the plys overlaid at a specific angle to the other layers. Radial tires have all plys laid at 90 degrees to the casing or tire body.
Types
In tube tires, there are a kind of rubber inner tube to hold the air pressure. Bicycle tires, motorcycle tires on spoke rims and older bias ply truck and car tires use inner tubes. Tubeless tires have a stiff bead on the sidewall edges that creates an airtight seal with the wheel. This eliminates the need for an inner tube.
Exceptions
The fact that pneumatic tires are able to lose air pressure and be punctured makes them unsuitable for particular applications. Tires tires utilized in construction, tires utilized by the military, utilized on forklifts are usually filled with resilient foam or constructed with solid rubber.
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